Innovation key to energy transition

A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlights the innovative pathways accelerating the energy transition.

Launched today, ‘Innovation Landscape for a Renewable-Powered Future: solutions to integrate variable renewables’ points to dozens of innovations being developed by leading companies and supported by national governments. The guide offers decision-makers tested solutions for ‘adopting innovation frameworks’ that can be applied domestically to contribute to the worldwide goal of shifting to an 85% share of clean energy in total electricity generation by 2050, which IRENA say will be necessary to decarbonise ‘the global power sector in line with the Paris Agreement objectives’.

“Europe has shown tremendous leadership in initiating the system-wide innovations needed to support the widespread adoption of renewables and decarbonise the global economy,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “The region’s success shows us that innovation is creating an energy transformation that is technically feasible and economically attractive. Innovation is the engine powering the energy transition and the global pace of innovation is accelerating. IRENA’s new report will provide a clear, navigable and comprehensive guide on innovations being piloted around the world, aiming to support informed decision-making by all countries to deploy low-cost renewables and accelerate the global energy transition further.”